Liam Payne sister lauds his 'Building the Band' role: 'Born to do this'

Liam Payne’s sister, Nicola Payne, marked his nine-month death anniversary with a heartfelt tribute, moving his fans to tears.

On Wednesday, July 16, the elder sister of the late One Direction star took to her Instagram account to pen a gut-wrenching note for his baby brother.

Alongside a lengthy and emotional message, she shared two recent photos of the Night Changes hitmaker from his final show, Building the Band, which premiered posthumously months after his death.

Pouring her heart out, Nicola began, "9 months ago today, our lives changed forever. I still find it incredibly hard to process what happened. I’m not sure I ever fully will, or even want to,"

"Liam, you are the most incredible person," referring to the show, in which the Perfect vocalist starred as a judge, she praised him. "Today, the world gets to see just a glimpse of your passion and talent and wow, you are amazing in this show."

"You are lighting up that stage like you were born to do," the internet personality continued. "You were made to be a judge, to guide, to encourage, and to let your voice be heard. Watching you in this show, I’ve never been more proud."

Emphasising the show's importance in her life, Nicola wrote, "This show will forever hold a special place in my heart because it’s one of the last times I saw you, and I got to witness you shine so bloody brightly, but it’s also allowed me to still feel close to you."

"I love you so much, and I miss you even more. I hate that this happened," she concluded before ending the caption with a broken red heart emoji.

For the unversed, Liam passed away on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

In addition to Nicola, Liam was also a brother to Ruth Payne.